Lufthansa raised the surcharges it imposes on passengers to offset soaring fuel costs for the second time in a month as the price of oil hovers above USD$130 a barrel.
The additional charge on domestic and European routes will increase by EUR3 euros to EUR24 (USD$37.19) each way from June 16, Lufthansa said on Wednesday. The surcharge will rise by EUR10 to EUR92 each way on long-haul flights.
"In recent weeks, crude oil and kerosene prices have continued to rise... In response to this development, Lufthansa is adjusting its fuel surcharges on its flights," Lufthansa said in a statement.
Lufthansa's air freight division, Lufthansa Cargo, also plans to raise fuel surcharges imposed on customers to 1.20 euros per kilogram from 1.15 euros from June 23, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
The carrier last increased its fuel surcharges on May 14 and repeated on Wednesday it would monitor oil prices and make further adjustments depending on jet fuel price trends.
UK rival British Airways last week lifted its fuel surcharges to GBP16 pounds (USD$31.29) each way on short-haul routes, GBP78 on long-haul routes of less than nine hours and GBP109 each way on flights of over nine hours.
The price of oil hit a record USD$139.12 a barrel on Friday and was trading at over USD$133 on Wednesday.
Airlines have said rising fuel costs will hit profits this year despite efforts to hedge against increases, with some carriers looking to trim capacity and cut services to stem losses.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said this month that the global airline industry was set to record a loss this year, possibly as high as USD$6.1 billion, as carriers struggle with sky-high fuel prices.
Lufthansa said last week it expected its fuel bill to jump to EUR5.7 billion this year from EUR3.9 billion in 2007. In April, Lufthansa had estimated 2008 fuel costs of EUR5.26 billion and gave a range of scenarios from EUR4.88 billion with oil at USD$89 a barrel to EUR5.71 billion at USD$134 a barrel.
